Page 72 of Ronen
“You know what this does mean though?” he asked softly.
“I’m scared to even pretend to act like I know what road your brain just went down.”
“I can finally have Charlie finish my tattoo,” he cupped my cheek as I turned into my driveway. “I know what color eyes the dragon should have. He’s you, so he needs your eyes. It was you I was waiting for to be able to finish it.”
Kissing his palm, I whispered against his skin, “After the baby comes.”
“After,” he agreed.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ronen
“Here’s good,” Mason stopped the truck in the middle of his land, far enough in the pasture we couldn’t see the house or outbuildings. Of course, it was pitch black outside too, but we’d driven a bit before he had stopped.
Excitement strummed through my veins, and I hopped down, not waiting for Mason to come around and help me.
I was about to see a dragon! A real-life dragon!
My mate was a dragon!
Holy fuck! I was as excited as a three-year-old on Christmas morning!
“Just remember he won’t hurt you,” Mason said, pulling his shirt over his head.
Any other time I would have admired the beauty of his muscles on display, but now I was just impatient for him to get his clothes off.
“I know he won’t.”
I wasn’t scared of Mason’s beast.
Finally, after what seemed to take forever, Mason was naked. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and I watched in fascination as his change took over.
Bones and muscles rearranged themselves, skin became colorful scales. Legs and arms became clawed talons, until a beast at least eighteen feet high stared down at me with slitted, amber eyes.
He snorted, little puffs of smoke wafting toward the sky, and pawed at the earth beneath his claws. Large wings spread out, the span three times wider than the truck, and I ducked as one nearly hit me.
Mason’s dragon was stunning!
His scales were a mixture of reds and purples, blending together perfectly. His large, oblong head swung towards me, and I stood stock still as he got within an inch of me.
His nostril flared, scenting me, and then he relaxed his posture, flicking the end of his long tail at me, where it wrapped around his body.
Reaching out a shaking hand, I ran my palm down his side, his scales warm where I touched.
“Amazing,” I whispered, in awe of what I was looking at. What I was touching. He truly was exactly as I had seen in my dreams. Exactly as Charlie had inked him into my skin.
I couldn’t wait for the day I could have her finish the tattoo, filling in the eyes with hues of amber.
The dragon stood, stretched its long body, then took two running steps, and he was up in the night sky. Soaring above my head, blending into the darkness until I could barely make out the dark shape of him.
Stripping off my clothes, I called my honey badger to the surface, shifting quickly. Mason flew a few more minutes before landing near me. His dragon stomped a foot, snorting puffs of smoke.
My honey badger took the opportunity to scurry up his tail, his nails digging into the scales, until we were seated firmly on his back.
We wanted to fly!
The dragon turned its long neck, his head swiveling around, looking my badger in the eye. My badger chattered, then snarled, showing his sharp teeth. The dragon yelled, hot breath moving the fur of my badger’s face, but he stood his ground.
